Lee Jordan Field - Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks
- Paul Baker
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.71
Lee Jordan Field @ Loretta French Sports Complex
18100 Old Glenn Highway
Chugiak, AK 99567
Year Opened: 2011
Capacity: 600
Keep Your Chin Up!
Lee Jordan was an Anchorage newspaperman who moved to Chugiak and started a weekly paper there. He served as mayor of Chugiak-Eagle River before those towns combined their governments with the Municipality of Anchorage in 1975. Jordan was instrumental in establishing youth baseball programs in the town. The main ball field at the Loretta French Sports Complex was named in his honor in 2016. Mr. Jordan passed away in 2018.
Loretta French was an advocate for children and seniors in the town of Chugiak, and was instrumental in getting the facility that now bears her name built.
In 2011 Jordan organized an exhibition game between the Anchorage Glacier Pilots and Athletes in Action Fire, an independent summer collegiate baseball team playing out of Fairbanks. The game, played at the Loretta French Sports Complex, was such a success that the Fire relocated to Chugiak and rebranded as the Chinooks.
The franchise has won one Alaska Baseball League Championship, while playing in Fairbanks, in 2007. The team has yet to win a title while in Chugiak. Some notable alumni to play for the Chinooks are Josh Donaldson, Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Connor Menez.
Food & Beverage 2
There’s a small concession stand in the building at the center of the Loretta French complex. Hot dogs, hamburgers, pretzels and nachos are served here. If you’re looking for some snacks, chips, candy bars and ice cream treats are available.
Cans of Coca-Cola products are sold at the concession stand. No alcohol is available at this community ball field.
Atmosphere 3
The Chinooks run a different game day show than the other teams in the ABL. It’s a little livelier than the other teams in the league. While things are not as crazy as you may be used to if you frequent minor league baseball games regularly, the staff and fans here at Lee Jordan Field make sure that everyone here has a good time.
The team employs music more liberally than their counterparts in the ABL. The home team enjoys walk-up songs, and an 80s heavy playlist blares over the speakers between innings. The PA announcer keeps things moving while using a quick, but professional delivery, making lineup and sponsor announcements all night long. The fans even take part in some of the announcements.
Sponsor tables line the wide walkway along the right field side of the field, and there is plenty of room for kids to roam and chase down foul balls. You’ll see plenty of four-legged fans in attendance as well. You might even see some hearty fans taking up residence up on the hill beyond the left field fence.
Neighborhood 2
Lee Jordan Field is located in Chugiak, an unincorporated community about 20 miles northeast of downtown Anchorage. Approximately 10,000 people live in this community, most of whom commute to Anchorage to the south or the Mat-Su Valley to the north for work. The Loretta French Sports Complex is located on the south side of Route One, the main road to access Anchorage and points south.
Fans looking for lodging or dining options in the immediate vicinity of Lee Jordan Field will be disappointed, as the complex is self-contained, with nothing nearby of interest. Downtown Chugiak is about two miles away on the opposite side of Route One. Fans will find a few dining options here, including Luci Mae’s, Polar Bear Café and Bobby’s Café. For more varied dining options, and for your best lodging choices, visiting fans should head into Anchorage, a short 20-minute drive away.
Of course, the area surrounding Chugiak offers an infinite number of attractions for the visiting baseball fans, whether you head north toward Denali National Park or south towards the city of Anchorage and beyond. If you choose to keep your focus solely on baseball, all five teams in the Alaska Baseball League are located within a three and a half-hour driving radius. If you time your trip to Alaska wisely, the Midnight Sun Baseball Game is held every year on the solstice in Fairbanks, a few hours to the north of Chugiak. For a more complete look at all the adventures awaiting you in Alaska, visit TravelAlaska.com.
Fans 3
Lee Jordan has a capacity of only 600, and during Stadium Journey’s visit on a Friday night, the crowd appeared to be close to that number. Fans filled the bleachers and lined up along both foul lines in the chairs they brought from home.
There’s a real community feel around Lee Jordan Field, as the crowd is made up of regulars who have been coming to Chinook games for years. Everyone seems to know everyone, and there’s a real friendly vibe in the stands. Visitors are welcomed, and you can feel comfortable sporting the colors of the opposition.
The fans are knowledgeable and supportive of the players on the field, and get involved in the banter and even some of the promotional reads. Even if it’s your first time to Chugiak, you’ll feel like part of the community by the time you leave. This is small town baseball at its best.
Access 3
Lee Jordan Field is located in the Loretta French Sports Complex, a community recreation center in the small town of Chugiak, AK. Also part of the complex are several regulation and youth baseball and softball fields, a picnic area, a playground, and a skate park. It is located on the Old Glenn Highway, less than a mile from State Route One, the main road from the area to Anchorage.
Lee Jordan Field is the central field in the facility, and the first one you’ll see as you enter the complex. A large parking lot is beyond the centerfield fence. A paved walkway leads from the parking lot to the seating area and concession stand.
Seating consists of metal bleachers on either side of the field, with plenty of room along both foul lines for fans to set up their own chairs and take in the action from their favorite spot. No matter where you sit, you’ll have to watch the game through a chain-link fence.
A major drawback at Lee Jordan Field is the lack of restroom facilities. There are several port-a-johns in deep right field near the entrance to the complex for fans to use. Lines at the concessions or merchandise stand are not an issue at this small ballpark.
Return on Investment 5
There is no charge for admission to a Chinooks game. Parking is free in the lot adjacent to the field. Prices in the snack bar are reasonable, making a game at Lee Jordan Field an affordable entertainment option for local sports fans.
Extras 1
There’s not a whole lot going on at a Chinooks game that can be considered extra. The team sells a good variety of team merchandise, and free raffle tickets with prizes from local sponsors are handed out to all fans. Along the top of the bleachers are flags of all the teams in the Alaska Baseball League.
Final Thoughts
There is nothing fancy about Lee Jordan Field. What you will experience at a Chinooks game is small town baseball, through and through. And that is exactly what will keep you coming back for more.
